my Zox 20

ZOX 20 Diary

Summary

This page details how I came to buy my ZOX 20 Z-frame and what modifications etc. I have made to it.

Or << Back to ZOX 20 introduction page


August 2012: essentially replace by Vortex trike !!

ICE Vortex 2012

But hanging onto Zox in case I change my mind. I would also like to try the plugin rear trike end ! (either the official one or a homemade one: maybe narrower and tucked more behind the rider (canted ?).


February 2012: rebirth

Move the parts back from the PDQ for a bike that is more fun/faster !! Changes made since I last used the Zox (brought over from PDQ): short cranks, double chainring, new, closer ratio, block. I have also now fitted a front mudguard and chose not to refit a cycle computer. Also the plastic disk that covered the driveside idler had warped, so I left it off (application of hot water failed to remold it).

First ride impressions after rebuild (WIP):



Garmin_fitted After first ride fit my GPS on a Topeak BarXtender to give a flatter position for better reception.

my Pashley PDQ

April 2010

After 9.5 years move parts *back* to my Pashley PDQ for a more relaxing ride and a bike that is more practical to ride to work before using on training ride back home again. Keep frame, seat, bits in case I change my mind/fancy a change !!

Garmin_fitted

October 2009

Fit Garmin Edge 305 using the supplied mount and zip-ties.

Seems to pickup the satellites OK, even with the less than optimal position (horizontal is recommended).


early 2009

More cycling (not just commuting), Kett during week and Zox at weekend.

August 2008

Final fit the Novosport "Sport mini" fibreglass Novosport Sport Mini tailbox bought in 2005 (see above).

May 2008

Clean up, ride, 2 punctures, tyres bit rotten, fit new Conti 2000 TT tyres.

July 2006

Finally got off the couch and have been out for a few rides on the Zox in the last few weeks. Bit wobbly at first after a couple of years of hardly riding it, but it is OK now and still great fun to ride :-)) However I felt I was a little too close to the pedals and the seat was at the max. extent on the slide rails so I drilled 2 new holes in seat base to move it back (still plenty of space between the seat back and the rear wheel). Much better once I got used to it.

Not managed yet to fit the Novosport tailbox to the Flux wooden seat.

SPEZI 2005

Bought a NovoSport "Sport mini" NovoSport fibre-glass tailbox (1.6kg, 25l).

June 2003

The weather is good and I have a need-for-speed :-)

It would be nice to solve the luggage carrying problem (e.g tools, waterproof and spare top). Perhaps either a NovoSport fibre-glass tailbox, a new, lighter wooden tailbox, or the foam tailbox reinforced with wood for shape.

And I think I will move the seat back to it's more upright position.

May 2001 to April 2003

No entries here partly because I have not been riding the ZOX much :-) I still love the bike and have no desire to replace it but at the moment it does not really fit in well with my lifestyle with a young family. I know that I could make the time to cycle more for "fun", especially on my preferred riding time of Sunday mornings, but other things are taking priority.

But I am still riding recumbents every day - just more practical ones !!, e.g my Flux V220 and Hase Kettwiesel trike, one of which I use each day often with a child-trailer, and I enjoy riding them !!


latest photo of tailbox

July 2002 - Wooden tailbox

Conclusions on wooden tailbox:



latest photo of tailbox

1st May 2001 - First test ride with foam tailbox

Conclusions on foam tailbox:



November/December 2000

October/November 2000

September 2000

1st September 2000 - First ride with rain

Longer ride (36.4miles / 58.2km), more fast down-hills but most memorable for the torrential thunderstorm on the way home.

25th August 2000 - Next ride

Same short loop of 21miles / 33.6km after work (the Astrale shows 21.85miles / 35km and I measured the actual wheel circumference so I guess I had not calibrated my old Cateye Mity 2 correctly).

22th to 23th August 2000 - fine tuning




15th August 2000 - First real ride

A short loop of 21miles / 33.6km after work, including town riding, up-hills and some fast down-hills.

14th August 2000 - First test ride

Round the local park where I had learnt to ride my Pashley PDQ. Initial observations;
4 year old Lucas sitting on my ZOX 20, feet on floor, holding the handlerbars

10th August 2000 - Frameset arrives (2)

After delays (frame painters have summer holidays and then when the frame was due to be shipped I was on holiday so it had to wait till I returned). I got the frame, forks, rollers, seat, handlebars and stem from ZOX. My Pashley PDQ donated its wheels, transmission and brakes. No problems at all with the assembly; although there are no instructions so you must work out for yourself how the adjust the seat for distance and angle :-)

(After assembly I was interested to see that my 4 year old son could easily sit on the seat, reach the handlebars and scoot forwards along the ground!!)

13th? June 2000 - Frameset arrives

Unfortunately it was the wrong shape. This was when I learnt that the frame styles page on the (pre-2001) ZOX web-site does not list all the ZOX frame styles. The frame designs are hand-drawn and I had assumed when ordering that "Frame style A" was the lowracer; but I now learnt that it is not. What I needed was the Z frame, so after a phone call to Sergio I posted the frameset back :-(

28th April to 5 May 2000 - Order ZOX 20 frameset

In the end I gave in to temptation and after much exchange of email I ordered a ZOX 20 frameset with rear suspension and a wooden seat (mainly because this is the one that was on the SPEZI test bike). The idea was to use my Pashley PDQ as a donor bike to build up the ZOX.

17th April 2000 - Recumbent Grin

I still had that recumbent grin the next day - I had not gone to the SPEZI with the intention of buying a new bike, but...

16th April 2000 - SPEZI test ride

The SPEZI is an annual exhibition of 'alternative' bikes in Germany. I was not too bothered about the indoor exhibition - what I wanted to do was try out some other recumbents, and especially some lowracers. The organisers provide a short circular test course, and a pit area. The idea is that you all queue up, then a group of 20 (?) get to enter the pit area and try out as many bikes as they want in the half hour. The popular bikes get grabbed as soon as they enter the pit lane - others sit on the sidelines :-(

I tried quite a few bikes, including several lowracers and learnt;



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